Chapter 44 #2
“It is a last resort,” I reassured him. “Time is not on our side. Who knows how long we can keep Caym trapped in that mirror? Who knows what will happen during the next black moon? We may need to negotiate soon, and Lark’s hand in marriage is not an option.”
He took a deep breath and looked at the sky. Mayra let out a shriek of dismay that we weren’t back in the air yet. When I stepped up to Emmerick, I pulled his chin down to force him to meet my gaze.
His breath heaved in and then out before he said, “Your hand in marriage is not a part of this negotiation either.”
He licked his lower lip, like he wanted to say more. I tracked the movement, heat snapping through the air between us.
“I’m your advisor. I will not make decisions that risk weakening the North. It is a last resort,” I repeated.
His face fell. “I didn’t know how engrained you were in the affairs of Helos. You never told me.”
He leaned down, his expression warring between betrayal and longing.
Krait and Sybilla put their trust in my leadership. However flighty they deemed me, they knew I wouldn’t let the Corridor descend into chaos. I’d done my best.
It hadn’t been easy to convince the northern lords that the magic they feared could be their salvation. They had herds to feed, and debts to settle, and land to tend. Life went on ever at the precipice of doom. They just wanted to feel heard, safe, and cared for.
“I couldn’t burden you with it,” I answered. His expression softened in understanding. If I stood on my toes, I could claim his lips.
Lark rounded the corner and approached Mayra, thankfully interrupting whatever built between us. I retreated and busied myself checking the cinch attached to Mayra’s saddle.
Lark pressed a kiss to the menace’s beak, whispering sweet nothings that were met with a happy purr and quiet chirps.
“What did the Prince say to you?” I asked, my curiosity burning.
In a hushed tone, she answered, “He told me to watch the borders. His father is up to something, and he does not know what—says he’s been cagey and out of sorts.”
Emmerick hummed in thought. “It was a risky choice to tell you that. But I agree. He seemed senselessly angrier than I remember him.”
Lark nodded. “I don’t want to hold too much weight in the claim. Regon could be wrong. Though, he isn’t dim—he knows a war waged against the rest of the realm will end in their demise and losing his future reign. He can be reasoned with.”
Mayra snapped at her sleeve, requiring more petting, and Lark happily obliged. I mounted and picked up the reins. Emmerick rested his hand on my knee. Little touches—they kept occurring too easily. When I met his stare, my heart skipped.
I didn’t deserve adoration from him—and the way he looked at me was unnerving.
Lark let out an exaggerated yawn. “I hate to admit this, but I’m exhausted. I don’t think I can Shadow us both to the South Corridor. Can Mayra carry two?”
There was a glint of mischief in my niece’s eye.
Sneaky brat...
I couldn’t say no, because she knew well that Mayra could carry two riders, so I simply said, “Of course.”
Emmerick’s brow pinched as he assessed the beast and glanced between us, missing the exasperated expression I threw at Lark over his head.
“I don’t want to tire Lark or Mayra,” he said. “I can travel by horse if needed until we reach an Egress.”
“No, no—that will take far too long,” Lark argued. Emmerick rubbed the back of his neck.
I’d need to be careful. Lark would soon have him wrapped around her finger like the rest of us were.
“Go on ahead, Lark,” I said. The Sheffields would receive her kindly. Unlike Bringham. “Meet us in two hours at the gates.”
“You got it,” Lark replied. It didn’t sound convincing.
“No wandering. Straight to Eros,” I reminded her. It would be nightfall by the time we arrived, and we’d stay there in safer territory. While Egresses made travel easier, staying in a Corridor still marked a sign of collaboration.
“Yes, yes,” she said.
I kicked one foot out of my stirrup and leaned forward so Em could use it to mount behind me. “Climb on up, puppy.”
Lark called out, “I’ve just got a brief stop before reaching Eros. Meet you there.” She Shadowed away before I could object or ask where.
Emmerick awkwardly lifted his foot into the stirrup and held the pommel of the saddle between my thighs.
I bit my lower lip, thinking about how close his hand was to my center.
Violating every agreement we’d come to this morning crossed my mind.
Once he’d settled behind me, his arms awkwardly hung at his sides.
“You’ll want to hold on,” I encouraged him.
The pace of his breath on the top of my head increased as he scooted closer. As his arms circled my waist, his front pressed to my back. I fought the urge to wiggle into him. Instead, I loosened the reins, giving Mayra room to extend her neck as her wings beat the air.
Emmerick’s grip around me tightened, and as we lifted from the ground, his embrace dulled my worries about affairs with the West Corridor.
His hands splayed over my stomach as we reached a height just below the clouds, soaring over the vast plains. I wished his touch would wander lower. Damn our self-imposed boundaries.
He leaned forward and said into my ear, “When we return home, I have something important to tell you.”
Home. Was that Helos or Lamoreaux?
“That sounds foreboding,” I said. The wind blew me back, further melding my body to his.
“It isn’t… Not truly. Just don’t make any decisions until then.” His tone turned pleading. “Don’t marry that pig, El. There’s another way.”
My curiosity burned, but I nodded. “I won’t, puppy.”
I’d held my ground for decades, and with Em awake, selfishly, it gave me more reason to refuse Brigham’s terms.
In his arms, I found more positive thoughts. Like the next time I’d get to watch him cook me dinner or sip mulled wine beside me by the parlor fire.
It was the strangest thing to look forward to such small moments.